Terengganu overcome Selangor to reach final

Terengganu will be going to their first Malaysia Cup final in 10 years after ending Selangor's bid for a 33rd title with a 2-1 win in the semi-final second leg in Kuala Terengganu yesterday to advance 4-1 on aggregate.

 

A Manaf Mamat strike and a beauty by Ashaari Samsudin either side of the break killed off any chance Selangor had of overturning the 2-0 first leg deficit as Safiq Rahim's consolation arrived too late to resurrect their hopes.

Terengganu coach Irfan Bakti Abu Salim was ecstatic to have reached the final.

"We had the advantage of the two goals from Shah Alam and that gave my players the belief to get the job done. Selangor fielded seven attacking players but they had nothing to lose and I'm proud of the way we defended and won the match," said Irfan.

 

In their bid for an early goal, Selangor coach P. Maniam went with two upfront in Fadzli Shaari and Rudie Ramli with Azidan Sarudin relegated to the bench along with Amri Yahyah.

Selangor thought they had been given a lifeline when Fadzli put the ball in the back of the net in the 12th minute but the forward was correctly flagged offside.

Terengganu responded almost immediately with Ashaari flashing a shot across G.

Jeevananthan's goal two minutes later before Joseph Kalang Tie volleyed a rebound against the post in the 16th minute after Ashaari had forced Jeevananthan into a save with his left leg.

The 12,000-capacity at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium burst into celebration in the 20th minute when Terengganu scored on a lightning break that caught Selangor cold.

Amirulhadi Zainal's poor pass was intercepted by Zubir Ibrahim, who sent Hadi Yahya racing into Selangor's half before relaying the ball to Ashaari who in turn crossed for Manaf, the scorer both goals in Shah Alam on Tuesday, to roll the ball into an empty net after side-footing Jeevananthan.

Selangor were unfortunate not to draw even in the 29th minute when Fitri Shazwan Raduwan was denied by a single-handed save by Terengganu goalkeeper Sharbinee Allawee Ramli following a goalmouth scramble before Fadzli curled an effort just over the bar a minute before the break.

Azidan appeared three minutes into the second half in place of Nasriq Baharum with Bunyamin Umar dropping into defence and Selangor nearly scored in the 53rd minute but Sharbinee produced a reflex save to parry Amirul's header before diving low to save Azidan's stiff grounder.

After Razman Roslan saw a dipping shot just go over the bar in the 64th minute, Selangor threw on Amri six minutes later in a desperate bid to salvage the tie but it was Terengganu who went further ahead in the 73rd minute.

Ashaari trapped Mazlizam Mohamad's pass and in one fluid movement let fly a left-footed volley which left a despairing Jeevananthan well beaten.

Safiq headed home Amirul's cross in the 88th minute for his fourth Malaysia Cup goal to reduce the deficit but it is Terengganu who can begin preparations for the Oct 29 final against Negri Sembilan in Shah Alam.